My name is Christina and this is what started out to be my dog/horse blog named after my dog Lexi. Slowly my blog has morphed into a dog/life/farm blog. I love to take photos of everything relating to the farm and local events. I am also a Design Junkie and love to take my old run down ranch and redesign every inch into my dream retreat. Join Lexi, myself and all the delightful creatures at Bluebird Farm and have a peek inside our wonderful world... "The World According To Lexi"

If you like to read some entertaining pet blogger posts in the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop, just click on one of our host links in the above paragraph or click on the purple Pet Blogger Hop button on the right side of our homepage. Happy Pet Blog Hopping! Lexi and Christina

20 Fun Things To Do With Your Dog!

In celebration of National Pet Month, I thought I would post some fun things you can do with your dog. I know we all have such busy schedules and sometimes we don't have time for our beloved dogs. When they get really bored and start to get whiny, it's time to spring into action. Below I am listing my top 14 things that I do with my dog Nitro (and my other 3 dogs). According to my dog Lexi, she likes me to keep Nitro occupied so he stays out of her business.

I said my top 20 things but I was hoping all of you could add to my list. I came up with the first 14 fun things you can do with your dog and now I need some fresh ideas. What are some of your favorite things to do with you pup (that isn't already on this list)?

1. Sign a dog up to take K-9 obedience classes because dogs love to learn and show off in front of other people. Also when a dog is trained to be well behaved in public, they get to go out in public more often.

2. Teach your dog a new trick with his favorte toy. I was trying to teach Nitro to jump through a hoop the other day and each time he would go through the hoop but he would drag his back feet and catch them on the hoop. It wasn't until I picked up his favorite toy (in this case his big red Kong) and I threw it through the big hoop. When I threw his Kong through the hoop he went soaring through the air after his toy everytime ..who knew?

3. Here is a great tip for the summer. Take 2 cups of chicken or beef broth and then pour the mixture into an ice cube trey and freeze. This will make yummy doggie cycles for your pups that they can enjoy on a hot summer day.

4. Play "find it" inside the house or outside in the yard by hiding treats and toys all over the yard and say "find it" to teach them to highten their sense of smell and find treats. First start out the game with a simple easy to find spot and have them be a little harder to find each time.

5. Teach your dog to swim. We just purchased a life vest and long line to attach to Nitro to teach him to swim in the river. Unlike our other dogs Nitro loves water so we want to take advantage of his love for water early on in his development. Not all dogs can swim right away so it helps to have a floating life vest for safety reasons. Click Here On How To Teach A Dog To Swim

6. Take your dog for a ride in the car with all the window down. Make sure the dog is in some kind of Safety Dog Harness or at least a leash on the dog held by someone in the car to keep the dog from jumping out of the window.

7. Play fetch with a really big stick.

8. Take him over to a friend's house who has dogs and have a big doggie play day.

9. Buy your dog a new blanket or comforter at a yard sale to lay on in the yard. They love soft blankets to lay on.

10. Take your dog with you to Petsmart or Petco to pick out a new toy and to also socialize with other dogs.

11. If you have a dog park, take your dog to the dog park to play and socialize.

12. Make a fun video of your dog doing cool tricks or playing with his dog buddies. Making a fun vide is a treat for both of you.

13. Take a pile of toys out in the back yard and start tossing them to get the dogs excited then get your camera out and take some fun photos to capture the memories.